Skip to content
The Better Trip

Destinations

Saved
Dubrovnik's walled old town and harbour in early morning light above the open Adriatic

FerrySpringSummerAutumn

Split to Dubrovnik by sea, by way of Hvar and Korčula

Diocletian's waterfront at breakfast, Hvar and Korčula by mid-morning, Dubrovnik's walls by lunch.

The short answer

From April to October, fast passenger catamarans run from Split to Dubrovnik's Gruž port in 4 hours 40 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes, calling at Milna on Brač, Hvar town and Korčula, and on Krilo's boat at Pomena on Mljet. In 2026 there were three sailings a day each way from 8 May to 18 October and two in April and late October, from €50 one way with Krilo and €55 with TP Line (fares read on 19 October 2026). Buy online for a fixed departure; from November to March there is no through boat, but you can do it in two hops with a night in Korčula.

The coast road gets you from Split to Dubrovnik. The catamaran gives you the islands on the way: it noses into Hvar's harbour under a Venetian fortress, ties up beside the walls of Korčula, and on Krilo's sailing calls at Pomena, the doorstep of Mljet National Park, the oldest marine protected area in the Mediterranean. It takes the best part of a day, and every hour of it is spent among the islands of central and southern Dalmatia.

Croatia

Journey time
4 h 40 to 5 h 15 southbound
Islands on the way
Brač, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet
Sailings a day
3 each way in summer 2026
Fare from
€50 one way (2026)
Season
1 April to 31 October 2026
Luggage included
20 to 23 kg a passenger

Why the sea route beats the road

Dubrovnik was for centuries a city that faced the sea. Its port at Gruž appears in records from the 10th century, and during the war of 1991 to 1995, with the city under blockade, the harbour was its only link with the world. The catamaran arrives the old way, through the islands, and every stop is a harbour town that grew up on the same sea routes.

Hvar came under Venice in 1278, and its fortress was begun soon after. The arsenal on the harbour took its present form in 1611, and the theatre entered from the terrace beside it was founded the following year, the first public theatre in Europe by the town's own account. Korčula sits on a stub of land inside its walls, its streets laid out like a herringbone to let the air move through while sheltering the town from the prevailing winds. Mljet's Benedictines built their monastery on an islet in the Great Lake between 1177 and 1198, and the island passed to the Republic of Ragusa, Dubrovnik's old self, in 1410.

The road has its own geography to contend with. The D8 Adriatic Highway runs through Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, and since Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023 that short stretch means an external border check on the way out and again on the way back in. Drivers can now skip it over the 2,404-metre Pelješac bridge, opened in July 2022. At sea there is no border at all: you leave Split from the waterfront below Diocletian's palace and step off within 3 km of Dubrovnik's walls, having watched four islands go by.

Along the way

  1. Split

  2. Leaving Split, the first five minutes

    Diocletian's palace from the water

    Split's port is 500 metres from the city centre, and the boat pulls away along the Riva, the waterfront built against the palace's sea wall. Diocletian's retirement palace measures about 215 by 180 metres, and the emperor walked in on 1 June 305. From the stern you see the whole southern front with the Cathedral of St Domnius, built into Diocletian's own mausoleum, inside it.

  3. About 70 minutes out on Krilo, 100 minutes on TP Line, after Milna on Brač

    Hvar town and its fortress

    The catamaran runs into Hvar's harbour under the hilltop fortress begun after 1278 and rebuilt from 1551. On the harbour stands the arsenal in its form of 1611, with the theatre founded beside it in 1612. The stop is ten to twenty minutes, long enough to see the square, the largest in Dalmatia, open up behind the harbour wall.

  4. About 2 h 30 min out on Krilo's 08:00, 3 h 20 min on TP Line's 09:00

    Korčula on its peninsula

    Korčula's old town is a walled oval on a spur of land, roofs rising to the Gothic and Renaissance Cathedral of St Mark. The herringbone street plan shows from the water as a row of lanes opening onto the shore. The boat ties up on the east or west side depending on the wind, and Pelješac's ridge fills the view across the channel.

  5. Krilo only, about 3 h out

    Pomena and the edge of Mljet National Park

    Pomena is one of the park's three entrances. The national park, the oldest marine protected area in the Mediterranean, was founded on 11 November 1960 and covers almost 5,300 hectares, a third of the island, including the two seawater lakes, Malo and Veliko Jezero, and the 12th-century monastery on its islet. From the water it is a small harbour on the park's green shore, and the quietest stop of the day.

  6. The last 20 minutes

    The approach to Gruž

    The boat runs down the Koločep Channel, with the Elaphiti islands to seaward, and passes north of the islet of Daksa, the port's charted southern approach, into the long inlet of Gruž. The old town is out of sight round the headland: its 1,940 metres of walls, finished in 1660 with the Bastion of St Stephen, are 3 km on.

  7. Dubrovnik

Where to sit or stand

Seats are not numbered on either line, so board early and take a window. Heading from Split to Dubrovnik, the left-hand windows look towards the mainland, and after Korčula along Pelješac's long ridge. The right-hand windows look out to the islands: across the channel to Mljet after Korčula, then the Elaphiti islands on the run into Dubrovnik. Coming the other way, swap sides. On TP Line everyone travels in the air-conditioned saloon and the open deck is closed under way. Krilo lets passengers outside when conditions and the crew allow, and the stern is the place to watch each harbour fall away.

Ways to do it

When to go

Tickets and fares

How much is the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik, and do I need to book?

Every ticket is a seat on a fixed departure, sold online and shown on your phone at boarding; neither line needs a printed ticket. In 2026 Krilo charged €50 from Split to Dubrovnik and TP Line €55, the same price in either direction. Shorter hops cost less: Split to Hvar €25 and Split to Korčula €30 to €33. Children under 3 travel free on both lines; TP Line charges half fare from 3 to 12, while Krilo charges the full fare from age 3. Both lines take one bag a passenger in the fare (20 kg on TP Line, 23 kg on Krilo), and the crew may allow more if there is room; TP Line suggests buying a second ticket if you must bring extra. TP Line also sells on board when seats are free, but in July and August buy ahead.

Krilo, Split to Dubrovnik
€50 (2026)
TP Line, Split to Dubrovnik
€55 (2026)
Split to Korčula
€30 (Krilo) to €33 (TP Line)
Children
under 3 free; TP Line half fare 3 to 12
Luggage in the fare
20 kg (TP Line), 23 kg (Krilo)
Be at the quay
15 minutes before departure

Times and the season

What time is the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik, and does it run in winter?

On the 2026 timetables, three catamarans left Split for Dubrovnik each day between 8 May and 18 October: Krilo at 08:00 (arriving 12:40), TP Line at 09:00 (14:15) and TP Line at 15:10 (20:20). From Dubrovnik they left at 08:00 (Split 13:25), 14:55 (Split 20:00) and 15:30 (Split 20:00). In April and from 19 to 31 October only Krilo's morning boat and TP Line's afternoon boat ran. The through season is 1 April to 31 October; for the rest of the year use the state lines via Korčula, which run all year (line 9808 does not sail on 1 January or 25 December).

Split 08:00
Dubrovnik 12:40 (Krilo, 1 April to 31 October)
Split 09:00
Dubrovnik 14:15 (TP Line, 8 May to 18 October)
Split 15:10
Dubrovnik 20:20 (TP Line, 1 April to 31 October)
Dubrovnik 08:00
Split 13:25 (TP Line)
Dubrovnik 14:55
Split 20:00 (TP Line, 8 May to 18 October)
Dubrovnik 15:30
Split 20:00 (Krilo)

The ports at each end

Where does the ferry leave in Split, and how do I get from Gruž port to Dubrovnik old town?

In Split the catamarans leave from the city harbour, 500 metres from the centre and on the same waterfront as Diocletian's palace; TP Line has ticket booths on Gat sv. Duje and Obala Lazareta, and the Split Port Authority publishes the berth of each departure on its live sailing list. In Dubrovnik every boat docks at Gruž, the city's port, about 3 km from the old town. Libertas city buses 1A, 1B and 3 run from Gruž to Pile, the main gate of the old town, in 10 to 15 minutes, and a bus heads into town every 10 to 20 minutes. A ticket costs €2.50 from the driver or €1.73 from a kiosk, valid for an hour. A taxi from the rank in front of the port costs about €10 plus €0.50 a bag. On foot it is a 30 to 40 minute walk. Dubrovnik airport is 20 km from Gruž.

Split harbour to centre
500 m
Gruž to the old town
about 3 km
Bus to Pile gate
lines 1A, 1B, 3; 10 to 15 min; €2.50 on board, €1.73 at a kiosk
Taxi
about €10, plus €0.50 a bag
Walk
30 to 40 minutes
Gruž to the airport
20 km

Wind, delays and cancellations

Is the Split to Dubrovnik catamaran cancelled in bad weather?

Both lines plan for the wind. In rough weather Krilo diverts its Mljet stop from Pomena to Sobra, and in Korčula both lines may board from the west harbour instead of the east. Hvar's port authority has cut entry speeds into the harbour, which Krilo warns can cause small delays on every line that calls there. If a sailing is cancelled for weather, Krilo offers a refund or a new date, and TP Line refunds cancelled sailings in full. The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service publishes a marine forecast for the Adriatic, and TP Line posts any disruption on its line status page.

Mljet stop in rough weather
Sobra instead of Pomena (Krilo)
Korčula in rough weather
boarding may move to the west harbour
Weather cancellation, Krilo
refund or a new date
Cancelled sailing, TP Line
full refund
Forecast
meteo.hr, Adriatic marine forecast

Worth knowing before you go

The journey in pictures

Split's palm lined waterfront and the bell tower of Diocletian's palace seen from the sea
Hvar town on its harbour with the fortress on the wooded hill above, seen from the sea
The walled old town of Korčula on its peninsula, seen from the water
Pomena on Mljet, its bay and pine woods at the edge of Mljet National Park
The Krilo Jet catamaran moored on the quay in Split
The approach to Gruž, Dubrovnik's port, at the head of a long blue inlet

Questions people ask

Good questions about Split to Dubrovnik by catamaran

How long is the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik?

Between 4 hours 30 minutes and 5 hours 25 minutes on the 2026 timetables. Krilo is the quickest: its 08:00 from Split reaches Dubrovnik at 12:40, and its 15:30 from Dubrovnik is back in Split at 20:00. TP Line's boats take 5 hours 5 to 25 minutes, because they spend longer at Hvar and Korčula. All of them call at Milna on Brač, Hvar town and Korčula on the way, and Krilo's also at Pomena on Mljet.

How much is the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik?

In 2026, €50 one way with Krilo and €55 with TP Line, the same in either direction and including one bag of 20 to 23 kg. Children under 3 travel free; TP Line charges half fare from 3 to 12. Out of season, the two-hop route via Korčula on TP Line's state lines cost €19.50 in all, with a night in Korčula between the boats.

Is there a ferry from Split to Dubrovnik in winter?

Not a through boat. In 2026 the direct catamarans ran from 1 April to 31 October. From November to March take TP Line's line 9608 from Split at 16:00 to Korčula (arriving 18:25), spend the night, then line 9808 from Korčula at 07:40, or 08:30 on Sundays, which reaches Dubrovnik at 09:50 or 10:40. Both run all winter; line 9808 does not sail on 1 January or 25 December.

Is the ferry or the bus better from Split to Dubrovnik?

The catamaran is the better journey: it calls at Hvar and Korčula, and you arrive at Gruž without any border. The D8 coast road crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, an external Schengen border since 1 January 2023, though roads over the Pelješac bridge, opened in 2022, avoid it. With a car you have no catamaran option: the through boats carry foot passengers only.

Can you take a car on the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik?

No. The Split to Dubrovnik catamarans of Krilo and TP Line carry foot passengers and their luggage, not cars. TP Line takes no bicycles; Krilo carries a limited number for a fee, booked ahead. With a car, drive: the motorway and the Pelješac bridge, opened in July 2022, take you round the Neum corridor. Car ferries do link the mainland with the islands on the way, such as Split to Stari Grad on Hvar, if you want to island-hop by car.

How do I get from Dubrovnik ferry port to the old town?

All the catamarans dock at Gruž, about 3 km from the old town. Libertas buses 1A, 1B and 3 run to Pile, the main gate, in 10 to 15 minutes; a ticket is €2.50 from the driver or €1.73 from a kiosk. A taxi from the rank in front of the port is about €10 plus €0.50 a bag, and the walk takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Does the Split to Dubrovnik ferry stop at Mljet?

Krilo's sailing does, at Pomena, one of the three entrances to Mljet National Park. In 2026 it left Split at 08:00 and called at Pomena at 11:10, with tickets from Split costing €30. In rough weather it uses Sobra instead. TP Line's through boats skip Mljet, but its state line 9807 links Sobra with Dubrovnik all year, and calls at Polače too in summer.

Split to Dubrovnik by catamaran

Diocletian's waterfront at breakfast, Hvar and Korčula by mid-morning, Dubrovnik's walls by lunch.

Split → Dubrovnik

Check times and prices

We may earn a commission when you book through Omio. It never changes what we write.

More ferry journeys

All the ferry journeys

Image credits: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Jerzy Strzelecki (CC BY-SA 3.0) · User:Japus (CC BY 2.5) · Addvisor (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jaganjac (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Ivan T. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Joanbanjo (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Split → Dubrovnik

Book this journey

Check times and prices